Devon’s review of The Boy Next Door by Amy Knupp
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Superromance 1 Feb 07

I haven’t read a ton of SuperRomance, but I’ve found that even if I don’t love them, they keep my interest, making for a pretty fast read. They are the perfect length for straight up contemporaries: long enough to explore the characters and conflicts, but not so long that the obstacles to the romance seemed contrived merely to drag things out. Just throwing that observation out there, because this particular HSR was very good: full of emotion, difficult issues, and very human characters.

Eighteen year old bad boy Zach Rundle shared a mutual attraction with the good girl next door, Lindsey Salinger. Any chance for the two to have a relationship is shattered the night Zach’s older brother drunkenly smashes into the Salingers’ car, killing Lindsey’s mother. Unable to stand the local censure, Zach leaves Lone Oak, Kansas and begins a new life in Wichita. It is thirteen years later when Lindsey, now a social worker, calls Zach with her concerns regarding his five year old nephew. Zach makes the return to Lone Oak to get Lindsey to butt out, only to find their attraction to be stronger than ever.

There were some intense issues here. Were the Salingers unreasonable to hate all the Rundles so much, when it was only one who sinned against them? On the other hand, it must burn to see the person responsible for your wife and mother’s death all the time, still drinking, still driving, still being a loser. The loss and the circumstances around it affected everybody so much. It made for some compelling conflict between the hero and heroine.

A major strength of this book was that the characters remained sympathetic, even though they sometimes behaved unsympathetically. Lindsey Salinger could have come off as a goody goody, but she is also suffering from a major case of suppressing her emotions. Although she is kind and understanding to others, her anger and guilt cause her to treat Zach somewhat shabbily. She was a very human character. Zach was a bit less vividly drawn, but a likeable character. He wants to do the right thing regarding his nephew, but he also hopes against all hope that he won’t have to take responsibility for him. Zach’s brother Josh, is a complete tool, but he genuinely cares about his son. Even Lindsey’s father, with his hatred of all things Rundle, didn’t come off as one-dimensional.

A child is a big part of The Boy Next Door’s plot, but he wasn’t annoyingly precious or precocious. Owen Rundle was a normal, sweet five year old who rang true to me. I really felt for him, all he had been through and his current confusing situation. I like the way he interacted with Lindsey and Zach as well.

What kept me from giving this book a higher grade is the other thing I’ve noticed about HSRs. Sometimes so much attention is given to all the various conflicts or issues, that the romance takes a backseat. I definitely believed the developing relationship between Zach and Lindsey, but there were so many other situations that needed to be resolved, it distracted from their plot. I was interested in all those other issues though, and that’s a good thing. I would recommend this to those who like an angsty story, one concerning family, friends and neighbors, rather than more fantastic elements. I will definitely check this author out again.

Grade: B

From the Back Cover:

Lone Oak, Kansas-a place where old animosities never died…

In Lone Oak, Rundles and Salingers don’t mix. Not since the tragic accident involving Zach Rundle’s brother and Lindsey Salinger’s mother. But when the well-being of Zach’s five-year-old nephew is at stake, Zach and Lindsey are unwillingly dragged together again.

At first, Zach thinks the social worker is stirring up the old feud. But once he’s back he realizes that’s the last thing on her mind. Before long, the attraction they’d felt twelve years ago returns, too.

Could a child’s needs bring them together? More important-would it help keep them together?

Read an excerpt here.